By P. Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will not move from the Indian Ocean’s southern corridor, one of two arcs believed to be the plane’s last path before its March 8 disappearance.
Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told Malaysia's national news agency Wednesday, “In fact, this has been confirmed by experts worldwide. The question is, where in the southern corridor? It's huge.”
He refuted suggestions that the plane could have headed toward the northern corridor.
Hishammuddin added in a later statement that Malaysia’s state oil firm Petronas will provide funds for a sonar locator and contribute deep-sea search equipment together with a ship to help with the search for the plane. Local defense firm Boustead is also finalizing terms on deploying assets including a diving vessel.
On May 2, Hishammuddin had said that the government had approached four Malaysian companies to deploy assets in the hunt for the missing Boeing 777-200 ER passenger jet.
He said Wednesday that he had officially put in a request to the U.S. to continue leasing its Bluefin-21 autonomous unmanned vehicle and other equipment.
China’s Zhu Kezhen survey ship has also covered over 4,000 square kilometers in mapping the deep seabed.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that a public tender would be issued to engage a private contractor to coordinate an expanded underwater search spanning 60,000 square kilometers in a remote part of the Indian Ocean.
On March 8, the Beijing-bound MH370 plane went missing with 239 people on board and no trace of the plane has been found yet despite a massive international search.
www.aa.com.tr/en
